Its always healthy to look back upon the life you have lived so far and forward to what is coming. Looking back, I never thought I would have the success in hockey that I have had through the years. At one point in time, I felt like I was up against time more than anything when it came to me competing in hockey. Now, as I get older, I am less about winning and success and more about playing with friends. My drive and determination to compete isn’t totally gone. Its just not in the forefront like it has been in the past. Now, its just confidently knowing I will do well and if things don’t work out, I won’t lose sleep over them.
The friends I have made through the years have shaped my life more than I ever thought. I have done the best I could to fit in, and I have even changed a little in order to stay with the same core group of friends. The key here is that all my true friends are hockey players. I have invested so much time and effort into playing hockey that I have formed this group of friends around the sport. When I am no longer able to play hockey, you have to wonder if I will still be with these people or if I will drift apart from them in the end.
I am not concentrating on that right now though. I really don’t like concentrating on the negative things that’s for sure.
As I sit here in my chair, soaking in the after effects of watching the movie The Reader, I am forced to reflect on another week that has come and gone. Another week where I finally won a couple hockey games, but lost both my games on Thursday again, for the third time in as many weeks. Another week where I have seen time just disappear in front of me. The annoying part is that I see the goals I have made for myself and am working to achieve them, but I am not 100% certain I chose the right goals.
The Reader is actually a great movie. Kate Winslet’s character in the movie achieved a lot in the later part of her life. So much that she changed who she was. I know that statement is lost on people who don’t see the movie, but at least I understand it. The end result is that she changed her life by working to better herself.
I have all these lofty goals I have set for myself. Some of them have to do with hockey, but the passage of time is going to limit my ability to achieve those goals. Some of them are educational, and I am working hard to achieve those goals in a timely fashion. In the end though, just how much of this higher education will I use?
Mainly, I am just a little scared about what the future does bring for me. I am going to achieve so much, but I have a lot that I want to give back to this world. I guess the passage of time is something that I do fear after all.
I played two games last night, one of them being one of the better games I have played in a while. The end result was the same it has been in the last two weeks, both losses. In the last two weeks I have lost my last 6 games, but its not for a lack of trying or just being on the wrong side of luck. Last nights Marketlab 3-2 loss was an excellent game. I did the best I could to keep my team in it but the Puckups got a goal with 1:30 left in the game and that was all she wrote.
I have been through dry spells before so I am not concerned. Its just a bummer to be on the wrong side of the win column for longer than a week. With me playing 3-4 games a week, it would be nice to snag a win or two sometime in there. If I was playing for Malys the last couple weeks instead of finding a sub because of work or other issues, I would have gotten a couple wins thats for sure.
Last night I was pretty wiped out though. For the first time in a long time, I was just exhausted after playing that 2nd game. I slept like a baby last night, except when the thunderstorms rolled through and woke me up at 3am.
Now I get to relax this weekend, work on the final week of my MBA class, and really just enjoy the time off. I need a little rest.
This season I have had my share of struggles on and off the ice. Playing hockey has been the one thing that I have enjoyed the most. With me turning 37 on June 6th, I now wonder how much time I have to play. If you ask a couple teams, I am still good enough to play. If you ask others, you will probably hear I should have stopped playing a while ago.
Maly’s is doing quite well so far. After placing 5th in the division last season, this season is shaping up to be a much better one. The bad thing is that we haven’t played a few of the top teams in the division yet. That will tell us where we really belong in the pecking order. Having the lowest goals against is a tribute to not only my team, but how confident I am playing.
Marketlab also continues to do well. After a tough loss last week, we look to get our swagger back and win this week. It will not be easy as we play against the Puckups, a team that has a lower goals against than me. Will be an interesting game. I am also playing for Dekleine Builders and their 2-3-1 record is disappointing to me because I should be playing better. The 32 goals allowed is tied for 4th but their goals for is next to last. Have to score to win games thats for sure.
Lastly, I have struggled playing for the Kodiaks this season. After plunking down two wins, I have struggled in a tough division to keep us competitive. I thought last night was going to be a little different, but every team is tough and there are some good players out there. I really need to focus and play better thats for sure. In the end though, I need to make a move to play more beginner/intermediate hockey. Moving up the ladder of difficulty doesn’t help my cause thats for sure.
After watching Game 7 of the cup finals, I thought I might throw out some thoughts and feelings I have about the game. What may be more important though are my thoughts and feelings before it even started.
Since Thursday nights debacle when the Pens won 2-1, I looked forward to this game. For 3 days, I thought about this game 7 and I was confident the Wings are going to come out on top. Still, I was anxious for the game to start. The 3 day wait was a little overwhelming, but when it finally got here, I was excited and my nerves were jumping.
Just watching the Pens reminded me of watching the Wings last season. Here was a hungry team that wanted a championship. The Wings were skating like they had cement in their boots. The Pens were cycling the puck around the Wings like they were standing still. When they got the first two goals, it was then that I realized that they just wanted this game more than the Wings did. Sure, the Wings picked it up in the 3rd period, but by then it was too late.
If anything, I am disappointed by the Wings performance. Here was a team that had all the firepower and the experience. They only lost 1 game at the Joe this playoff series (and it was the one I went to, but thats beside the point). In the last two games which were cup clinchers for them, Draper and Erickson scored the goals for the Wings. Two 3rd/4th line players. Wait a minute! Where was Hossa, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Franzen? Where were our big guns? Only 1 goal per game the last two games?
Thats not the refs giving the Pens the game. That isn’t a league conspiracy that wanted to see the Pens win. That was just a horrible effort by the Wings.
As a hockey fan, I give props to the Pens. I also give thanks to the Wings. In the last 14 years, I have watched the Wings with pride. They won 4 cups in the last 14 years. I couldn’t ask more from my favorite team. That being said, they just didn’t play well enough to deserve it this year. It feels good that I am not a blind biased fan and I can see both sides of things.
It was disappointing, but now I am over it. Time for bed and a long 3+ months until hockey starts back up again.
After a short hiatus from my blog, I am back. In the middle of May, I had a hard time dealing with the passing of a friend and remembering what our friendship was like back in the day. I pushed a lot of my blogging away and really focused on my MBA class, work, wife, and hockey. Today, I am feeling much better about things, so I am back and better than ever.
Hockey has been good to me. So far, both Maly’s and Marketlab are undefeated. I just pitched another shutout last night in a 4-0 victory with some big help from my team. Malys is going to do just fine this season, but we haven’t faced the top 2 teams in the league yet. That will be a true test as to where we stand.
Marketlab has also done well and sits in first place in the division with a 4-0 record. I never expected them to be in that position picking up 5 new players. Our chemistry doesn’t seem to be affected though as we continue to put the puck in the net and pass very well. With 6 games to go, we have a lot to work on, but we should be ready come playoff time.
The Kodiaks are doing pretty well in ice hockey, but I am struggling again for some reason. After a brutal 11-10 loss last week (yes 11-10), I haven’t been very reliable in net. I thought playing less would help when it came to being more steady in my ice hockey games. That just isn’t the case though. We sit 2-2 and I was hoping to finish 6-6 this season at the very least. This league is tough though, so I am doing the best I can to keep up. Its not going to be easy, but I have confidence we will get a few wins here.
Life has been very good to me when I really think about it. I have a great wife, job, house, and I am still playing hockey. I have had a lot of success playing hockey. That is great considering I was never an athlete and I never could really contribute in a team sport. I am getting the opportunity to do that now. I enjoy IT work. I am passionate about working with technology and am really motivated to do a good job. Lastly, my wife is amazing. We have differences, but every couple does and we will hit 10 years of marriage this year.
I guess I am titling this “putting things in perspective” because that’s what I am doing. For all the challenges I have had, they are small compared to the big picture. I am so fortunate to have so many good things going for me its amazing. I am not a special person. I am just fortunate to have many things going for me.
This season, all my hockey teams are doing well. I have won every game I have played in the last few weeks. I didn’t play my best last week, but I am allowed to have a bad game here or there. My team was good enough to bail me out of my really bad game with Malys. I really couldn’t stop a good shot and we found ourselves down 4-1 in the first period. We came back and won 7-4 after I regained my composure. My Marketlab team also won their game on Thursday. We are doing better than I could have imagined considering we lost so many players from last seasons championship run.
I really have been down a little on myself. I found some old pictures of friends that I once knew but are now gone. I suppose as I get older this kind of thing happens, but I didn’t expect it to start so soon. Its the memories of the friends I used to have but lost contact with that don’t hurt as much as the ones that are gone forever. I will be back to my normal self eventually.
Its been a little over a year today that I got word that a good friend of mine Ben Pauls passed away. After talking with him for many years, he didn’t respond to any of my emails for over a year and I didn’t know what happened to him. It was one of those mysteries that I didn’t know about at the time and I was busy with my own life as it was. I just assumed the best for him. When I got word of his passing, I was decimated.
When a friend passes away suddenly, its hard to put into words how you feel. Even to this day I remember everything that we did together back in my high school and college days. Its a shame that we didn’t say close after I went away to college, but we both started new lives. He got married and had a few kids. I went away to college, graduated, and I got married as well.
Today I found pictures of him, the first time I have actually seen these in years and they just bring back all sorts of memories. All of them good ones. I still miss him today when I think about him.
by Christopher Brian Dudek on May 7, 2009
in Technology
Gaming is Stupid… » Blog Archive » The Chair Story (revival).
After reading this article, it seems quite realistic that Duke Nukem Forever was indeed a vaporware game. Now that 3dRealms is closing its doors, it seems easier to release info about this from his perspective I guess. You read it and be the judge.
My MBA classes resumed on Monday and I am already hip deep in work. I am taking Organizational Management which is a 600 level class. I have more chapters to read in the book, discussion questions to respond to, and then a paper due at the end of the week. The good news is that I am now in the meat of my classes. If I take 4 classes per year, I will graduate in 3 years. That is what I am aiming to do.
Hockey also started back up this week and I got off to a strong start with Malys in a 5-4 OT win. I played a pretty strong game, but I should have played a little better than I did. I don’t know how our team will do this season, but it is going to be a fun season thats for sure. We have many new faces and after placing 5th last season and going all the way, I am hoping we can do better this season and have the same finish.
Ice hockey also starts up for me tonight and I can’t wait for that either. I got my pads repaired and my skates are ready to go. This season is going to be a tough one though as we are going to be playing in a pretty darn good league. Maybe even better than the one I played in last season. I don’t know if I should be moving up in difficulty when my skills are on the decline, but I am going to try it out this summer and see how things go.
